Biophotonics is a new and fast growing discipline in the health care and life sciences industry. Biophotonics studies the interaction between light and human tissue. Using multiband photonic and spectroscopic methods it is able to analyze cells and tissues by the way these living structures absorb, reflect and scatter light. This can be used to diagnose and treat diseases ranging from cancer to strokes and Alzheimer’s.

The benefits of photonics in health care are plentiful. The technology is non-invasive and has no adverse side effects, as it only deploys a light beam for diagnosis and treatment. Medical devices based on photonics technology are small and easy to handle, making the treatment highly portable. Last but not least, the cost of photonics treatment is low.

In the following health care fields is photonics technology especially promising:

Preclinical research & diagnosisBecause of its high resolution and three dimensional imaging biophotonics allows a more holistic understanding of the process by which diseases originate and progress in the human body. This knowledge could help to detect and cure diseases even before macroscopic symptoms are revealed.

OncologyEarly detection of cancer is crucial for effective treatment. For most cancers screening is ineffective, unpleasant (like colonoscopy) or simply impossible. Photonics is able to detect tumors with much more accuracy and speed and at lower costs. Photonics can also be applied in a surgical microscope or endoscope to precisely assess the degeneration of cancer tissue and offer treatments based on light to eliminate cancerous tissues.

Breath analysisExhaled breath contains thousands of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), that act as valuable biomarkers showing metabolic processes within a patient’s cells and tissues. Current breath biopsy analysis requires large and unwieldly equipment, that is expensive and intrusive for the patient. Photonics can make these systems much more compact so that VOC analysis could be done with a hand-held device, at much lower energy consumption and lower manufacturing costs.

Infectious diseasesPhotonics is able to rapidly identify pathogens after an infection. Clinicians are already working with a mobile phone-based fluorescence imager that detects bacteria in infected wounds. The imager guides the clinician to areas that require decontamination prior to bandaging.

Neuro-monitoring and imagingBecause of its non-invasive nature photonics technology is very well suited to monitor the human brain, in particular in vivo imaging and neuro-monitoring. In this way stroke and brain injuries can be better diagnosed and treated. Photonics can also shed further light on neurovascular coupling in Alzheimer’s disease. Because of its lower cost photonics is well suited for scientific studies in healthy populations to help understand brain development and healthy ageing.

The Health Tech event consists of several workshops where endusers and suppliers will meet and discuss what is needed for Health Care and how photonics can support this.

Biophotonics is a new and fast growing discipline in the health care and life sciences industry. Biophotonics studies the interaction between light and human tissue. Using multiband photonic and spectroscopic methods it is able to analyze cells and tissues by the way these living structures absorb, reflect and scatter light. This can be used to diagnose and treat diseases ranging from cancer to strokes and Alzheimer’s.

The benefits of photonics in health care are plentiful. The technology is non-invasive and has no adverse side effects, as it only deploys a light beam for diagnosis and treatment. Medical devices based on photonics technology are small and easy to handle, making the treatment highly portable. Last but not least, the cost of photonics treatment is low.

When studying diseases or testing potential drug therapies, researchers usually turn to cultured cells on Petri dishes or experiments with lab animals, but recently, researchers have been developing a different approach: small, organ-on-a-chip devices that mimic the functions of human organs, serving as potentially cheaper and more effective tools.

Now, researchers have built a new device that’s especially good for modeling atherosclerosis — the constriction of blood vessels that’s the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. In a paper appearing this week in APL Bioengineering, from AIP Publishing, researchers illustrate how the new device can be used to study important inflammatory responses in cells that line the vessel in ways that could not be done in animal models. The research team also explains how this organ-on-a-chip could improve blood testing for patients. Continue reading “Organ-on-a-chip could improve blood testing for patients”

How the social robots can play role in the spectrum of innovative healthcare? – Presented by Amit Kumar Pandey, SoftBank Robotics, at the Health Tech Event, on January 31, 2018, at MECC Maastricht, The Netherlands. Read the interview.

Never before in the history of robotics, social robots have been so close to us, in our society. We are ‘evolving’, so as our society, lifestyle and the needs. AI and Robotics together are converging towards creating a smarter, happier and healthier eco-system of living. The first part of the talk will reinforce that such social robots have a range of potential societal applications in healthcare and therapy, and that as a robotics industry, SoftBank Robotics’ R&D and Innovation is around the centrality of wellbeing of people. The second part will present the feedback and needs from the real users, and will highlighting some of the immediate R&D directions. The talk will conclude with some open challenges ahead, including social and ethical issues and emphasize on the greater need of a bigger and multidisciplinary effort. Continue reading “How the social robots can play role in the spectrum of innovative healthcare? – Presented by Amit Kumar Pandey, SoftBank Robotics”

Health Tech Event welcomes Zorginnovatie.nl as Media Partner. The event will take place on 31 January 2018 at MECC Maastricht, The Netherlands.

About Zorginnovatie.nl
Zorginnvatie.nl is a platform and community for innovators in healthcare. Everyone can present their healthcare innovation and/or contribute to the development of the ideas of others. It is or goal to ‘connect’ and ‘accelerate’. We connect existing structures and innovation networks in healthcare by stimulating dissemination of knowledge and intensive collaborations. With Zorginnovatie.nl we created a solid online platform with relevant stakeholders. The acceleration of innovations happens within the online community, which offers valuable suggestions and substantive comments from members. Zorginnovatie provides insights and links them to relevant actors or organizations. Continue reading “Health Tech Event welcomes Zorginnovatie.nl as Media Partner”

New technologies can influence rehabilitation of patients as we know it today – Lieven De Maesschalck, Mobilab

Lieven De Maesschalck is a registered nurse & Master in Nursing science. As Innovationmanager, he is responsible for Mobilab, a multidisciplinary centre of expertise, conducting applied research into wellbeing and technology connected to the university college Thomas More Kempen. He is doing research for at least 20 years. On January 31, 2018, he will speak about The impact of exoskeleton use for patients at the Health Tech Event in Maastricht.